Kinesiology tape consists of a strip of elastic and non-elastic fibers, usually covered in cotton, which is placed on human skin. Kinesiology tape is useful in therapy to reduce soreness in overused and injured muscles and in rehabilitation to accelerate recovery. The tape can have a lifting effect on the skin which can reduce swelling and inflammation by improving circulation and reduce pain by taking pressure off pain receptors.
Nevertheless, there are a number of drawbacks in the current art regarding the manufacture and production of kinesiology tape. In particular, kinesiology tape is generally sold in large rolls which the consumer must cut before using. However, the tape is often difficult to cut because of its elastic nature. The tape must be cut with a very sharp object, such as sharp scissors, which makes it more difficult for consumers to use in places, such as a gym, where the consumer must carry the means to cut the tape with them.
Additionally, many forms of treatment using kinesiology tape require cutting the tape to wrap the tape, or portions thereof, around a particular joint. Therefore, a consumer must cut a portion of an individual strip in the correct manner for proper application. This is difficult and inconvenient for many consumers who may forgo use of the tape and, therefore, miss its therapeutic and injury preventative uses.
The tape could be cut into individual strips, and or cuts made to the individual strips for proper application, during manufacture using traditional die cutting methods. Nevertheless, this suffers from a number of drawbacks. First, the tape must be stopped while the cutting occurs. Second, cutting individual strips while avoiding cutting the backing is difficult because the thickness of the tape may vary due to the elastic nature of the individual threads. Third, perforations are difficult to achieve without making individual cuts to the interior of the tape.
Additional problems arise in the application of adhesive to the kinesiology tape. A solid coating of adhesive prevents the material from breathing, which retains moisture on the skin, ultimately forcing the tape to fall off the skin. Applying the adhesive in straight tracks makes the tape susceptible to forces pushing across the tracks.
Further, it is difficult to print on the kinesiology tape itself. The tape is a porous material. Therefore, if too much ink is applied to the tape, the printing will smudge and will bleed through the tape. If too little ink is used, the printing will not be visible or the coloring will be wrong.
Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in the conventional manufacture of kinesiology tape that can be addressed.